Reliabilism, an epistemological theory created to combat skepticism, asserts that a person knows that p if and only if (1) p is true, (2) that person believes that p is true, and that (3) this person arrived at conclusion p via a reliable process of belief formation. A “reliable process of belief formation” could simply be an act of perception, since reliabilism implies externalism. Externalism claims that you can have knowledge even if you don't know exactly how you got there (knowing the evidence). For example, imagine a boy sitting on the beach. He sees a woman walking past him less than six meters from him and believes there is a woman walking past him. Although he does not understand exactly how he arrived at this belief, particularly with regard to the cognitive processes involved, the fact that his perceptual processes operated reliably nevertheless justifies his belief. Reliability analysis is also consistent with fallibilism, which claims that people can hold incorrect beliefs and still be justified in their beliefs. Again, consider the boy on the beach. His perceptual processes have always served him correctly; for these processes to fail and deceive him would be extremely unlikely, making his belief justified even if he were somehow wrong in his belief. Second question, Nozick however goes further with his “follow-up theory”. Nozick adds conditions to the truth and belief requirements. Its conditions are: (1) P is true (2) S believes that P (3) if it were not the case, S would not believe P (4) If it were the case, then S believe P By this, Nozick wants to show that knowledge is a belief that reliably follows the truth. In conclusion, the idea that we... middle of paper...... bras, can infer that he doesn't see donkeys in disguise, and still don't know that he " don’t see donkeys disguised to look like donkeys.” zebras. » Dretske's anti-sceptical strategy is, however, open to question. Imagine that a man believes that his friend James is President of the United States of America at 9 a.m. on Friday. He has evidence, such as witnessing James' inauguration, spending time with James in the Oval Office, and seeing extensive media coverage of James' presidency. James. It turns out that James dies of a heart attack at 9:05 a.m. on Friday. It is debatable whether or not this man knows that James was president at 9 a.m., 5 minutes before his death. This man would have the same reasons at 9:00, 8:55, and 9:05 to believe that James is president. This means that this man doesn't actually know that James is president at 9 a.m.00..